Room Request! Hotel Max

A visit to Seattle’s hippest hotel

Written by The Editors of DuJour

Hotel Max might be an art-filled boutique hotel situated in the heart of Downtown Seattle, but that isn’t all. The exquisitely appointed hotel is also a hub for the city’s artistic community, and it pays homage to Seattle’s status as one of America’s most musical cities with an entire floor of rooms outfitted with turntables and hand-picked vinyl as well as a lobby retail space stocked with releases from the city’s legendary Sub Pop Records. Hotel Max isn’t just a treat for the ears, though; the 163-room space also boasts a free daily craft beer happy hour and is home to the acclaimed restaurant Miller’s Guild, which specializes in wood-fired fare. Here, General Manager Kevin Scott explains more about what makes Hotel Max so very beloved.

What makes it so special: Our Max rooms are our most spacious rooms, and the fifth floor is where we celebrate our partnership with Seattle’s own Sub Pop Records. When you get off the elevator, you see large-scale black-and-white images on every guest room door showcasing the work of photographer Charles Peterson. He helped define the early Sub Pop aesthetic on the label’s record covers with photos that captured the raw passion and power of Seattle’s music scene in the 1980s and ’90s. The guestrooms on this floor feature framed poster art that highlights bands on the label’s current catalog and are equipped with Crosley record players and a selection of vinyl curated by Sub Pop.

The rate:Rates start at $149 in winter and at $349 in summer.

Acclaimed restaurant Miller’s Guild

Your personal favorite:

Room601.

Because…

It’s the room that Eddie Vedder stayed in back in 1990 when he was contemplating moving up to Seattle, where he would connect with his future bandmates in what would eventually become Pearl Jam. We know because he sent a postcard back to his roommates in San Diego talking about falling in love with Seattle and making music here—and the return address is room 601. Based on the postmark, we think he may have mailed that postcard the same day Pearl Jam played their first show under the name Mookie Blaylock. It would be a few more months before they changed their name to Pearl Jam and a few more years before the hotel would officially became Hotel Max. Our connection to local music runs deep.